There was tension brewing in Argentina camp to deal with the crisis situation if they don’t qualify for the FIFA World Cup Russia 2018. And 30’ seconds on the pitch, La Albiceleste conceded the quickest goal in their 116 year history. A team already low on morale, playing in a high altitude atmosphere couldn’t have expected to go it worse. But, Argentine talisman Lionel Messi take it as challenge and overcome the fear of not qualifying for Russia 2018 with one of his great performance.

Messi scored hattrick to take the game away from Ecuador single handedly. FIFA.com reports as Messi comments, “we deserved to qualify earlier because it was very difficult here. The fear of not qualifying was real and I don’t know how we would have reacted to that. It would have been a crazy situation for Argentina, but we managed to win the game in the end.”

Clarin reports, “Being inside was the most important thing. We had to be yes or yes. We are calm; we got the goal that is most important. We were getting themselves into this mess and it was not easy to come and set everything up.”

“We let pass a lot of things over our head and had the fear of being left out. A few seconds in the match and we suffered that goal, but it made us react. I was afraid to come here and play, due to height. Fortunately, we reacted quickly and handled it well’”

“Argentina not in the World Cup would have been crazy. The group didn’t deserve that, for all that comes paddling. For a while this group is being discussed despite having player three finals. It was a special day, more than anything for those who had been in the group for a long time,” Messi added.

Argentina’s coach Jorge Sampaoli couldn’t hold his euphoria as he considered Messi the best player in the history. He said, “Luckily the nationality of the best player in the world is Argentinian. Messi doesn’t owe a World Cup to Argentina. Football owes a World Cup to Messi. He is the best player in the history. It was very illogical that the most important tournament in the world didn’t have it.”